Chest freezer storage system

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an improved storage system for chest freezers. Advantageously, the present invention improves the ease of access to the lower portions of a freezer so that food is less likely to be stored longer than desired and can be used in any model of chest freezer. The invention provides an adjustable storage system that has a high strength to weight ratio and can be used at very low temperatures without being structurally altered.

REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENTS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 63/259,860 that was filed Aug. 20, 2021.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved storage system for chestfreezers. Specifically, the invention provides a storage system that canbe used in any chest freezer with improved accessibility to items thatare stored in the lower portions of a freezer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Most chest freezers, particularly those intended for residential use,include a storage basket that can be moved from side-to-side but onlyfits at the top of the freezer. Storage baskets that fit at the top of afreezer commonly have extended flat rims on two sides that rest on aninterior curb just below the lid of the freezer. The extended flat rimsprevent these baskets from being hung lower in a freezer. One knownmodel of chest freezer provides a storage basket that fits below the topof the freezer, but it can only be used in the top half of that specificmodel. In all known cases, storage baskets are designed to only fit intoa specific freezer model and are not adjustable.

The primary benefit of residential chest freezers is their large storagecapacity that allows a user to purchase and store food in bulk. But, thelack of easy access to the lower half of a freezer makes it tedious anddifficult to reach the bottom half of a full freezer. As a result, foodis stored longer than intended or is wasted, and the benefits of bulkfood storage are not fully achieved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides compositions and methods relating tosystems, kits, and methods that improve access to all areas of a chestfreezer. Advantageously, the invention can be adjusted for in any typeof chest freezer regardless of the freezer's age, make, or model. Theinvention allows for the universal adaptation of all brands and sizes ofresidential chest freezers to include mulitple tiers of sliding storagebaskets that are easily accessible. Storage baskets of the invention canslide side to side to allow access to the lower tiers without removingthe baskets. As a result, the invention provides improved access to thelower portions of a chest freezer.

More specifically, the invention combines an efficient storage designwith lightweight, strong storage containers (baskets) that are easilyand securely attached to the interior of a chest freezer. Theselightweight storage containers can hold relatively large amounts ofweight without breaking. Advantageously, the sizes of the storagecontainers are easily adjusted by hand without the use of any tools.Further, the parts of an assembled storage container interlock to eachother so that the assembled container will not come apart without a useropening the interlocking mechanism.

The invention provides a system having (a) at least two railings; and(b) at least one basket comprising a first section and a second section,wherein the first section has a bottom, a short side, a rim along thetop of the short side that has a flat upper surface and a lower surfacefrom which vertical ribs extend downward and attach exteriorly to theshort side, and two long sides, wherein each long side has (i) ahorizontal slot that extends along most of the length of the firstsection and has an enlargement at the slot end that is nearest to theshort side, and (ii) a projection extending away from the short side atthe end of the long side that is distal to the short side, wherein theprojection has a button that extends away from the interior of thebasket; and wherein the second section has a bottom, a short side, a rimalong the top of the short side that has a flat upper surface and alower surface from which vertical ribs extend downward and attachexteriorly to the short side, and two long sides, wherein each long sidehas (i) a horizontal slot that extends along most of the length of thesecond section and has an enlargement at the slot end that is nearest tothe short side, and (ii) a projection extending away from the short sideat the end of the long side that is distal to the short side, whereinthe projection has a button that extends towards the interior of thebasket.

Each button of a projection comprises a neck that extends away from thelong side of the basket section and is attached at its distal end to aknob. The knob fits within the enlargement of the slot in the othersection of a basket. Importantly, while the neck can fit within theremainder of the slot of the other section, the knob cannot.

In addition, each projection in the first section has at least onehorizontal rib on its surface facing the interior of the basket, andeach projection in the second section has at least one horizontal rib onits surface facing the exterior of the basket. Preferably, eachprojection includes at least two horizontal ribs, more preferably eachprojection as three or four horizontal ribs, and most preferably eachprojection includes five horizontal ribs on its surface that is oppositethe surface from which a button extends.

Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the projections and theirparts form an interlocking mechanism. This interlocking mechanism canhave many configurations (e.g. knobs may be round, oblong, square, etc.in shape). It is only necessary that the interlocking mechanism canperform the needed function of attaching a first section of a basket toa second section of the same basket such that the first section andsecond section are joined together and cannot separate from each otherunless the interlocking mechanism is returned to the opening position.Thus, it will be understood that the interlocking mechanism illustratedand described herein represents a preferred embodiment.

Similarly, it will also be appreciated that while a preferred embodimentis described and illustrated herein, a similar result may be achieved bymodifying the preferred embodiment. For example, rather than having aprojection form part of a basket section, a similar result can beachieved by connecting a first and second section to each other withnuts, bolts, and washers or other known connectors to create aninterlocking mechanism. While functional, such alternatives are lesseasily adjusted by a user and can require tools and greater effort toassemble into a basket than the present invention.

Preferred baskets of the system have a slot in the upper half of a longside. Skilled artisans will appreciate that slots may be located lowerin a basket and achieve a similar result.

It is expected that systems of the invention comprise two or moredifferent types of baskets. Specifically, systems of the inventioninclude at least one basket that is a universal basket or a lowerbasket. Preferably, systems of the invention include at least oneuniversal basket and at least one lower basket.

Universal baskets can be placed on any tier. Universal baskets havevertical ribs that extend downwards from the rims of their first andsecond sections offset from the distal edges of the rims such that thelower surfaces of the distal edges are flat. These flat distal edgesallow the universal basket to rest on the freezer's curb and still allowthe lid of the freezer to be closed as intended.

Lower baskets have the vertical ribs that project downwards from therims of their first and second sections extended to the distal edges ofthe lower surfaces of the rims. Extending the vertical ribs to thedistal edges of the rims allows the lower baskets to have even greaterstrength and to hold more weight as compared to the universal baskets.Lower baskets can be used on tiers within a freezer but are not intendedfor use on a top tier that requires the edges of the basket to rest on acurb in the freezer upon which the freezer's lid rests when the lid isclosed.

Skilled artisans will recognize that a wide variety of suitable railingsare available and can be used in the invention. Preferred railings areangle railings, preferably an “L” angle railing. Most preferred “L”angle railings are 1 inch×2 inch (H×W) and ⅛ inch in thickness. Railingscan be comprised of a variety of materials such as injection moldedpolypropylene, aluminum, steel, unreinforced plastic, or combinationsthereof. Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) was found to be a superiormaterial and is preferred because of its very high strength to weightratio, ability to be structurally unaltered to −50° C., and non-poroussurface that allows for very high binding (VHB) tape adhesion.

A preferred adhesive tape for use in the invention is 3M™ VHB™ Tape5952. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that other adhesivetapes are available and can be used in the invention. Suitable tapesprovide a consistent bond, durability, and excellent moisture resistanceat low temperatures.

The invention also provides kits for an improved storage system. Kits ofthe invention have (a) at least two railings comprised of fiberreinforced polymer; (b) one or more placement guides, wherein theplacement guide has at least one slot to accept a railing; (c) amagnetic white board with at least one marker pen; (d) at least onebasket comprising a first section and a second section, wherein thefirst section has a bottom, a short side, a rim along the top of theshort side that has a flat upper surface and a lower surface from whichvertical ribs extend downward and attach exteriorly to the short side,and two long sides, wherein each long side has (i) a horizontal slotthat extends along most of the length of the first section and has anenlargement at the slot end that is nearest to the short side, and (ii)a projection extending away from the short side at the end of the longside that is distal to the short side, wherein the projection has abutton that extends away from the interior of the basket, and whereinthe second section has a bottom, a short side, a rim along the top ofthe short side that has a flat upper surface and a lower surface fromwhich vertical ribs extend downward and attach exteriorly to the shortside, and two long sides, wherein each long side has (i) a horizontalslot that extends along most of the length of the second section and hasan enlargement at the slot end that is nearest to the short side, and(ii) a projection extending away from the short side at the end of thelong side that is distal to the short side, wherein the projection has abutton that extends towards the interior of the basket; and (e) assemblyinstructions or an internet link to assembly instructions.

It will be appreciated that a variety of suitable placement guides areavailable in the arts. Preferred placement guides are molded from fiberreinforced polymer (FRP) and include at least one, more preferably two,slots into which a railing can be inserted so that the railing can beinstalled into a freezer at predetermined heights. It is envisioned thatthe slots in the placement guides are positioned so that the railingscan be installed into a freezer at heights that allow for a first tierto be placed in the lower third of the freezer and a second tier to beplaced in the middle third of the freezer.

Preferably, railings that are provided in a kit are provided in 36-inchlengths that can be cut with a handsaw to a desired length.

The invention also provides a method of using a chest freezer storagesystem comprising (a) measuring a freezer's interior length; (b)adjusting a first railing's length to be slightly less than thefreezer's interior length; (c) placing two guides, wherein each guidehas at least one slot to accept a railing, vertically into the freezer;(d) inserting the first railing into the slot of each guide so that thefirst railing is level; (e) removing a covering from the back of thefirst railing to expose an adhesive tape; (f) rotating the guidestowards a first interior wall of the freezer until the back of the firstrailing touches the first wall; (g) pressing the first railing againstthe first interior wall so that the adhesive tape is affixed to thefirst wall; (h) removing the guides; (i) placing the two guidesvertically into the freezer on a wall opposite the first wall; (j)placing a second railing into the slot of each guide so that the secondrailing is level; (k) removing a covering from the back of the secondrailing to expose an adhesive tape; (1) rotating the guides towards theopposite wall until the back of the second railing touches the oppositewall; (m) pressing the second railing against the opposite wall so thatthe adhesive tape is affixed to the opposite wall; (n) removing theguides; (o) interlocking a first basket section to a second basketsection to form a basket; adjusting the basket's length to approximatelyequal to the distance between the installed railings; (p) placing thebasket onto the railings; and (q) storing one or more items in thebasket.

Methods of the invention further comprise installing a second set ofrailings into the freezer; assembling at least one second basket;placing the second basket on the second set of railings; and storing atleast one item in the second basket. Preferably, at least one basket isa universal basket or a lower basket. More preferably, at least onebasket is a universal basket and at least one basket is a lower basket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The following drawings form part of the present specification and areincluded to further demonstrate certain aspects of the invention. Theinvention may be better understood by reference to one or more of thesedrawings in combination with the detailed description presented herein.Unless specifically noted, articles depicted in the drawings are notnecessarily drawn to scale.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an assembled basket.

FIG. 2 is a lateral view of the long side of an assembled basket.

FIG. 3 shows lateral views of a disassembled basket. FIG. 3A illustratesa section of a basket with a projection and an outward facing button.FIG. 3B illustrates a section of a basket with a projection.

FIG. 4 shows top views of a disassembled basket. FIG. 4A illustrates asection of a basket that has an outward facing button. FIG. 4Billustrates a section of a basket with an inward facing button.

FIG. 5 is a top view of an assembled basket.

FIG. 6 is a lateral view of a short end of a basket.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of an exemplary assembled basket with shortenedvertical ribs projecting downward from its rim.

FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of an exemplary basket having fullvertical ribs projecting downward from its rim.

FIG. 9 shows an assembled rail system installed in a freezer with theguides still in place.

FIG. 10 shows a partially assembled rail system from the back prior toinstallation.

FIG. 11 is a front view of an exemplary magnetic white board with markerpens.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention provides systems, kits, and methods that improve theaccess to all areas of a chest freezer. Advantageously, the invention isadjustable and can be used in any type of chest freezer regardless ofthe freezer's age, make, or model.

Systems and kits of the invention provide improved storage baskets thathave adjustable lengths, greater strength under cold conditions, and ahigher resistance to fracture as compared to known alternatives. Storagebaskets of the invention are comprised of two pieces that are joinedtogether by a telescoping design. See FIGS. 1-4 . Further, the design ofthe baskets provides that the baskets are exceptionally strong for theirweight. See FIGS. 5-8 . Baskets of the invention are held in place byusing railings that are attached to the interior of a freezer's storagearea. See FIGS. 9 and 10 . The invention provides for easy use andorganization of a chest freezer. See FIG. 11 .

The invention provides baskets 1 that are assembled from a first section2 that is interlocked to a second section 3. The first section 2 has anoutward facing button 5, and the second section 3 has an inward facingbutton 5. Both the first section 2 and second section 3 have a bottom23, a short side 21, a long side 22, and a rim 9 along the top of theshort side 21. The rim 9 has a flat upper surface and a lower surfacefrom which vertical ribs 10 project downward and attach to the exteriorof the short side 21. The vertical ribs 10 provide greater strength forthe baskets.

Universal (or upper) baskets of the invention can be used in the upper,middle or lower levels of a system. These universal baskets are slightlylonger than the lower baskets that are intended for use on the lower ormiddle tiers. The vertical ribs 10 on the universal (or upper) basketsare shorter than those on the lower (or middle) baskets to allow for thecomplete closure of a freezer's lid. Middle and lower baskets have fullvertical ribs 10 under each rim 9. Compare FIGS. 7 and 8 . Middle andlower baskets are exceptionally strong and are designed to be used inthe middle and lower tiers of a system. In all types of baskets, themiddle area of the rim 9 is free of vertical ribs 10 and serves as ahandle 12.

Each section (i.e. the first section 2 and the second section 3) of abasket has a long side 22 with a horizontal slot 8 that extends alongmost of the length of the respective section's long side. Each slot 8has an enlargement 7 at the slot end that is nearest to the short side21.

Each long side 22 has a projection 4 extending from its end that is mostdistal to the short side 21. This projection 4 has a button 5 thatextends perpendicularly away from the projection 4. In a first section2, the button 5 extends away from the interior of the basket 1. In asecond section 3, the button 5 extends towards the interior of thebasket 1. Each button 5 has a neck 6 that extends away from the longside 22 and is attached at its distal end to a knob 20. The knob 20 fitswithin the enlargement 7 of a slot 8, but the knob 20 cannot fit withinthe remainder of the slot 8. In contrast, the neck 6 of a button 5 canfit within the entirety of a slot 8.

In addition, each projection 4 has at least one horizontal rib 24 on itssurface facing the interior of the basket 1, and each projection 4 inthe second section 2 has at least one horizontal rib 24 on its surfacefacing the exterior of the basket 1. In a more preferred basket, it wasdetermined that five horizontal ribs 24 provided the greatest strengthto weight ratio to reinforce the area where a button 5 was located.

The basket sections are designed to interlock together by inserting therespective buttons 5 of a first section 2 through the enlargements 7 ofa second section 3, and at the same time, inserting the respectivebuttons 5 of a second section 3 through the enlargements 7 of the firstsection 2. Importantly, the basket sections are designed to only allowthe buttons to be inserted through the enlargements at the most minimalextension of a basket's length. In all known chest freezers, the usablelength of a basket will be greater than its most minimal extensionlength. To achieve a usable length, after the respective knobs 20 areinserted through their corresponding enlargements 7, the first section 2and second section 3 of a basket must be pulled away from each other.Pulling the two sections away from each other causes the necks 6 of theprojections 4 to move into the bodies of the slots 8 and cause the twosections to interlock together to form a basket 1.

It is desirable that foods or other materials stored in a chest freezerhave adequate ventilation. To provide ventilation, openings 11 arepresent in the short side 21, and slots 13 are present in the bottoms 23of each respective basket section. The sizes and positions ofventilation openings was found to influence air movement. A preferredembodiment of the invention includes twenty eight 20 mm round openings11 on each short side 21 and five slots 13 that are 17 mm×147 mm in abottom 23.

It was found that the size and positioning of the slots and projectionsand their respective parts influenced basket strength and telescopingfunction. Thus, while the specific locations and sizes of the differentparts of a basket can be varied and still result in usable storagebaskets, skilled artisans will appreciate that some of these basketswill be more desirable than others because some will have a greaterstrength to weight ratio, be easier to assemble or use, have bettertelescoping function, have better ventilation, or any combination ofthese or other desirable characteristics.

Testing of various prototypes determined that a most preferredembodiment of a basket has a maximum telescoping length of 583 mm and aminimum telescoping length of 411 mm. This embodiment has a usable depthof 197 mm to 200 mm, is 350 mm wide, and has a thickness of 3 mm. Mostpreferably, the basket is injected molded from acrylonitrile butadienestyrene (ABS). A less preferred basket can be injection molded frompolypropylene or another thermoplastic polymer that is food safe.

A most preferred embodiment of a first basket section 2 has a depth of197 mm so that it can be interlocked with a second basket section 3.Most preferably, tops of the projections 4 in a first basket section 2begin 38 mm below the top of a long side 22, and the projections 4extend 38 mm past the open end of the first basket section 2; and thetops of projections 4 in a second basket section 3 begin 36 mm below thetop of a long side 22, and the projections 4 extend 38 mm past the openend of the second basket section 3.

In a most preferred embodiment, a button's neck 6 extends 9.5 mm awayfrom a long side 22 and has a diameter of 19 mm (i.e. slightly less thanthe height of slot 8). Most preferably, a knob 20 has a diameter of29.02 mm and is 3 mm thick. Those of skill in the arts will appreciatethat these measurements can be varied and still form a usableinterlocking mechanism.

Preferably, a long side includes a rim 25 along its top edge. This longside rim 25 can provide additional reinforcement that improves abasket's overall strength.

Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the vertical ribs 10 on ashort side 21 can be varied in their numbers and sizes. A preferredembodiment of a basket has vertical ribs 10 that are 4 mm×4 mm andsituated every 20 mm to reinforce the rim 9 and short side 21 of abasket. Most preferably the rims 9 of a lower basket extend 34 mm awayfrom a short side 21, and the rims 9 of a universal basket extend 45 mmaway from a short side 21.

Multiple different prototypes were tested to determine the greateststrength to weight ratios and identify the maximal strengths that couldbe achieved for the storage space that was lost to achieve a specificmaximal strength. This testing found that a most preferred short siderim 9 had a horizontal length of 15.87 mm. Further, it was found that amost preferred slot 8 was 193.675 mm in length from its end nearest tothe open end of a basket's section (either a first section 2 or a secondsection 3) to and including the enlargement 7 at the other end of theslot 8, 20 mm in height, and the slot 8 began 38 mm from the open end ofa respective section. A preferred enlargement 7 has a diameter of 30 mmso that it can receive a preferred knob 20 with a diameter of 29.02 mm.

Baskets of the invention are installed into a freezer with a system thatcomprises two sets of railings that form the lower and middle tiers ofthe system. The system utilizes the curb area of a freezer that thefreezer's lid rests upon to form the upper tier of the system. Therailings of the lower and middle tiers of a system are essentiallyidentical to each other and only differ in their relative positionswithin a freezer. Advantageously, systems of the invention also provideguides that are pre-measured so that lower and middle tiers are placedat preferred heights within a freezer for optimal use and storage.

Skilled artisans will recognize that a variety of railings are availableand can be used to form usable surfaces upon which baskets of theinvention can be placed. For example, railings may be comprised ofaluminum, steel, unreinforced plastic, reinforced plastic, orcombinations thereof. Most preferably, railings in the system arecomprised of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) because it has a highstrength to weight ratio, is structurally unaltered to −50° C., and hasa non-porous surface that allows for good binding by an adhesive tape.

While a variety of railing shapes and configuration can be used in theinvention, a preferred railing 16 is illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 .Preferred railings are angle railings, and most preferred anglesrailings are “L” angle railings.

It will be understood that a variety of tools and alternatives can beused in systems and methods of the invention to achieve the same orsimilar tier configurations. Preferred kits and methods of installingthe invention use guides 14 that are made of FRP. These guides arepreferred because they have good dimensional stability and a highstrength to weight ratio. Guides are not intended to be permanentfixtures in a system of the invention and intended to only be used toinstall railings in tiers that are at preferred heights in a freezer.

Preferred guides 14 are “U” shaped guides. See FIGS. 9 and 10 . Mostpreferred guides 14 are 1 inch×2 inches×1 inch (H×W×H), 20 inches inlength, and ⅛ inch in thickness. Further, each guide includes two setsof parallel slots 15. In the most preferred embodiment, the first set ofslots is 8½0 inches from a first end of a guide, and the second set ofslots is 17 inches from the first end of the guide. It will beappreciated that the depth and width of a slot can be varied and stillachieve the desire result. A preferred slot is ⅛ inches in width and ¾inches in depth. Most preferably, a slot 15 is cut into each 1 inch sideof a guide.

The ¾ inch depth of a slot 15 is designed to accept the 1 inch long and¾ inch thick side of the preferred “L” angle railing 16 and to holdangle railing 16 securely while it is affixed to a freezer wall. Thoseof skill in the art will recognize that railings can be secured to afreezer wall through a variety of known means. Preferably, anglerailings 16 are affixed to a freezer wall with adhesive tape 15. Manyadhesive tapes may be suitable for use in the invention. A mostpreferred adhesive tape is 3M™ VHB™ Tape 5952 that is 2 inches wide and1/1 mm thick. 3M™ VHB™ Tape 5952 has a foam density of 590 kg/m³ and astatic shear strength greater than 1500 g at 0° C.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, adhesive tape 15 is firstaffixed to the 2 inch side of an “L” angle railing 16 and then theadhesive tape 15 is attached to a freezer's interior wall.

It will be understood that systems of the invention can be installed ina variety of configurations and orders to achieve the same or similarresults. Herein is described a preferred installation method that workswell with the present invention.

Preferably, a system of the invention is installed in a freezer that iscompletely defrosted and has dry, interior side walls so that railingscan be installed securely. Railings that are applied to dry surfaces canquickly attain very high adhesive strength.

To prepare to install a first railing 16 for a tier, a user measures theinterior length of the freezer. In many freezers, a box condenser box ispresent in or near the bottom third of the freezer. In such freezers,the user must account for this condenser box when taking the interiormeasurement for the lower tier. If the interior measurement is shorterthan the railings provided in a kit, then the user can shorten thebottom railings by cutting the railing 16. Alternatively, if theinterior measurement is greater than the length of the railings providedin the kit, then a user can cut additional railings for the bottom railto increase the overall length. Preferably, a bottom railing's fulllength is about 1 inch shorter than the interior length so that therailing can be easily installed.

To install a railing at the desired height for a lower tier, place arailing 16 into the lower slot 15 of a set of placement guides 14.Preferably, a set of two guides is used so that the railing is level. Auser slides the short side of the “L” angle railing 16 into the lowestslots 15 of the placement guides 14. While keeping the railing 16 in theslots 15 of the railing guides 14, remove the back of the adhesive tape17. With both lower ends of the placement guides 14 set on the bottom ofthe freezer, rotate the guides 14 toward the intended wall of thefreezer until the back of the railing 16 touches the wall. The railingwill be at the correct height for the lower tier and will be level. Withthe guides 14 still in place, press the back of the railing 16 veryfirmly against the railing so that the adhesive tape 17 affixes to thewall. Remove the placement guides 14. Repeat the procedure on theopposite wall of the freezer to complete the installation of the lowertier.

To install and place a middle tier in all but the smallest freezers, thelength of the tier will be longer than 36 inches. Preferred kits of theinvention provide angle railings in 36 inch lengths. A user can make alonger tier by using two pieces of angle railing. Preferred anglerailings can be cut to desired length by hand (for example a hacksaw canbe used).

To install a middle tier, place the short side of a complete (uncut)railing 16 in the set of top slots 15 in the set of placement guides 14.Place the lower set of slots 15 over the already installed lower tier'srailing while rotating the railing 16 toward the desired freezer wall.This motion will ensure that the railing is placed at the desired heightabove the lower tier. Remove the back covering from the adhesive tape 17and affix the railing 16 to the desired freezer wall. Repeat thisinstallation procedure on the opposite freezer wall. Repeat theseinstallation steps as needed to place additional railings and completethe middle tier. Once the adhesive has completely cured, approximately24 hours, each tier of a system can hold up to 25 lbs. per basket and100 lbs. per tier.

Baskets of the invention are adjustable and designed to fit all chestfreezers. The preferred way to adjust a basket's length is for the userto place their fingers through the ventilation holes 11 in the middle ofthe short sides 21 of a basket 1 and pull the sections away from eachother. The basket sections will slide away from each other whileremaining interlocked.

Kits of the invention include a magnetic white board 18 with at leastone marker pen 19. Advantageously, the magnetic white board 18 can beeasily attached to most chest freezers so that a user can readily checkthe contents and organization of a freezer, as well as, modify theinventory record as needed.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as is commonly understood by one of skill in theart to which this invention belongs at the time of filing. Terminologyused herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments ofthe invention and is not intended to be limiting. The meaning and scopeof terms should be clear; however, in the event of any latent ambiguity,definitions provided herein take precedent over any dictionary orextrinsic definition. Further, unless otherwise required by context,singular terms shall include pluralities and plural terms shall includethe singular unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. Herein, theuse of “or” means “and/or” unless stated otherwise. Furthermore, the useof the term “including”, as well as other forms such as “includes” and“included” is not limiting. As used herein, “each” refers to each memberof a set or each member of a subset of a set.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system having a. at least two railings; and b. at least one basket comprising a first section and a second section, wherein the first section has a bottom, a short side, a rim along the top of the short side that has a flat upper surface and a lower surface from which vertical ribs extend downward and attach exteriorly to the short side, and two long sides, wherein each long side has (i) a horizontal slot that extends along most of the length of the first section and has an enlargement at the slot end that is nearest to the short side, and (ii) a projection extending away from the short side at the end of the long side that is distal to the short side, wherein the projection has a button that extends away from the interior of the basket; and wherein the second section has a bottom, a short side, a rim along the top of the short side that has a flat upper surface and a lower surface from which vertical ribs extend downward and attach exteriorly to the short side, and two long sides, wherein each long side has (i) a horizontal slot that extends along most of the length of the second section and has an enlargement at the slot end that is nearest to the short side, and (ii) a projection extending away from the short side at the end of the long side that is distal to the short side, wherein the projection has a button that extends towards the interior of the basket.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein each button in the first section comprises a neck that extends away from the long side and attaches to a knob that fits within the enlargement of the slot in the second section but cannot fit within the remainder of the slot in the second section, and each button in the second section comprises a neck that extends away from the long side and attaches to a knob that fits within the enlargement of the slot in the first section but cannot fit within the remainder of the slot in the first section.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein each projection in the first section has at least one horizontal rib on its surface facing the interior of the basket, and each projection in the second section has at least one horizontal rib on its surface facing the exterior of the basket.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein each slot is in the upper half of a long side.
 5. The system of claim 1 further comprising two or more baskets, wherein at least one basket is a universal basket that has the vertical ribs that extend downwards from the rims of its first and second sections offset from the distal edges of the rims such that the lower surfaces of the distal edges are flat; and at least one basket is a lower basket that has the vertical ribs that extend downwards from the rims of its first and second sections extending to the distal edges of the lower surfaces of the rims.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein adhesive tape is adhered to one side of the railings, and the railings are angle railings comprised of fiber reinforced polymer.
 7. A kit having a. at least two railings comprised of fiber reinforced polymer; b. one or more placement guides, wherein the placement guide has at least one slot to accept a railing; c. a magnetic white board and at least one marker pen; d. at least one basket comprising a first section and a second section, wherein the first section has a bottom, a short side, a rim along the top of the short side that has a flat upper surface and a lower surface from which vertical ribs extend downward and attach exteriorly to the short side, and two long sides, wherein each long side has (i) a horizontal slot that extends along most of the length of the first section and has an enlargement at the slot end that is nearest to the short side, and (ii) a projection extending away from the short side at the end of the long side that is distal to the short side, wherein the projection has a button that extends away from the interior of the basket; and wherein the second section has a bottom, a short side, a rim along the top of the short side that has a flat upper surface and a lower surface from which vertical ribs extend downward and attach exteriorly to the short side, and two long sides, wherein each long side has (i) a horizontal slot that extends along most of the length of the second section and has an enlargement at the slot end that is nearest to the short side, and (ii) a projection extending away from the short side at the end of the long side that is distal to the short side, wherein the projection has a button that extends towards the interior of the basket; and e. assembly instructions or an internet link to assembly instructions.
 8. The kit of claim 7, wherein each button in the first section comprises a neck that extends away from the long side and attaches to a knob that fits within the enlargement of the slot in the second section but cannot fit within the remainder of the slot in the second section, and each button in the second section comprises a neck that extends away from the long side and attaches to a knob that fits within the enlargement of the slot in the first section but cannot fit within the remainder of the slot in the first section.
 9. The kit of claim 7, wherein each projection in the first section has at least one horizontal rib on its surface facing the interior of the basket, and each projection in the second section has at least one horizontal rib on its surface facing the exterior of the basket.
 10. The kit of claim 7, wherein each slot is in the upper half of a long side.
 11. The kit of claim 7 further comprising two or more baskets, wherein at least one basket is a universal basket that has the vertical ribs that extend downwards from the rims of its first and second sections offset from the distal edges of the rims such that the lower surfaces of the distal edges of the rims are flat.
 12. The kit of claim 7 further comprising two or more baskets, wherein at least one basket is a lower basket that has the vertical ribs that extend downwards from the rims of its first and second sections extending to the distal edges of the lower surfaces of the rims.
 13. The kit of claim 7, wherein the railings are angle railings.
 14. A method of using a chest freezer storage system comprising a. measuring a freezer's interior length; b. adjusting a first railing's length to be slightly less than the freezer's interior length; c. placing two guides, wherein each guide has at least one slot to accept a railing, vertically into the freezer; d. inserting the first railing into the slot of each guide; e. removing a covering from the back of the first railing to expose an adhesive tape; f rotating the guides towards a first interior wall of the freezer until the first railing touches the first wall; g. pressing the first railing against the first interior wall so that the adhesive tape is affixed to the first wall; h. removing the guides; i. placing the two guides vertically into the freezer on a wall opposite the first wall; j. placing a second railing into the slot of each guide; k. removing a covering from the back of the second railing to expose an adhesive tape; l. rotating the guides towards the opposite wall until the second railing touches the opposite wall; m. pushing the second railing against the opposite wall so that the adhesive tape is affixed to the opposite wall; n. remove the guides; o. assembling a basket having a first section and a second section that are interlocked together so that the basket's length is approximately equal to the distance between the installed railings; p. placing the basket onto the railings; and q. storing one or more items in the basket.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the railings are angle railings comprised of fiber reinforced polymer.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein the basket comprises a first section and a second section, wherein the first section has a bottom, a short side, a rim along the top of the short side that has a flat upper surface and a lower surface from which vertical ribs extend downward and attach exteriorly to the short side, and two long sides, wherein each long side has (i) a horizontal slot that extends along most of the length of the first section and has an enlargement at the end that is nearest to the short side, and (ii) a projection extending away from the short side at the end of the long side that is distal to the short side, wherein the projection has a button that extends away from the interior of the basket and has a neck that extends away from the long side and attaches to a knob that fits within the enlargement of a slot but cannot fit within the remainder of the slot; and wherein the second section has a bottom, a short side, a rim along the top of the short side that has a flat upper surface and a lower surface from which vertical ribs extend downward and attach exteriorly to the short side, and two long sides, wherein each long side has (i) a horizontal slot that extends along most of the length of the second section and is enlarged at the end that is nearest to the short side, and (ii) a projection extending away from the short side at the end of the long side that is distal to the short side, wherein the projection has a button that extends towards the interior of the basket and has a neck that extends away from the long side and attaches to a knob that fits within the enlargement of a slot but cannot fit within the remainder of the slot.
 17. The method of claim 16 further comprising inserting the projections of the first section of the basket through the enlargements of the second section; inserting the projections of the second section of the basket through the enlargements of the first section; and pulling the first and sections away from each other sufficiently to move the necks of the projections into the slots.
 18. The method of claim 14, further comprising installing two or more baskets, wherein at least one basket is a universal basket or a lower basket, wherein the universal basket has a rimmed first section and a rimmed second section wherein the rims of the first and second sections have vertical ribs extending downwards from their lower surfaces that are offset from the distal edges of the rims such that the lower surfaces of the distal edges of the rims are flat, and the lower basket has a rimmed first section and a rimmed second section wherein the rims of the first and second sections have vertical ribs extending downwards from their lower surfaces and extending to the distal edges of the rims.
 19. The method of claim 14, further comprising installing a second set of railings into the freezer; assembling at least one second basket; placing the second basket on the second set of railings; and storing at least one item in the second basket. 